Basketball Wiretap

The Brooklyn Nets are receiving interest in selling their franchise to parties from the United States and abroad.

Chinese conglomerate Fosun and the Qatari government’s investment fund have signaled an interest in buying the Nets from Mikhail Prokhorov.

David Geffen is also interested one year after he was unsuccessful in purchasing the Los Angeles Clippers.

Dick Parsons, who was interim CEO of the Clippers, also has interest. Parsons would need to line up investors.

The NBA hasn’t given Prokhorov clarity on whether he can sell his 80 percent stake in the team separately from his 45 percent stake in the Barclays Arena, where the Nets play, said one banker close to the sale process.

The league requires an owner to sell the same ratio of team and arena ownership as he originally bought, although it can waive that rule.

Sports Business Journal reported the NBA told Prokhorov he had to sell both.

Some believe the NBA wants the Nets to wait until the Atlanta Hawks are sold.

Michael Jordan has made the Forbes Magazine list of the richest people in the world with an estimated net worth of $1 billion.

Jordan qualifies as the 1,741st richest person in the world.

It is believed that Jordan makes more than $100 million a year off royalties from his Nike Air Jordan line, though his business manager Estee Portnoy has never confirmed those numbers.

In March 2010, Jordan agreed to buy 80 percent of the Charlotte Bobcats on a valuation of about $275 million. Jordan's stake increased to 89 percent in 2013 and the Charlotte Hornets are now worth more than $700 million.

“Members of the Professional Basketball Writers Association stand for fair and responsible journalism. The NBA’s media-access rules do more than protect news outlets; the rules serve the public because the rules facilitate informed, accurate coverage.

“The suggestion that reporters use locker-room access periods to eavesdrop on players’ conversations or to do anything other than work is inaccurate. The NBA’s pregame media-access period provides a vital forum for building constructive relationships between players and reporters. In the vast majority of cases, reporters are in locker rooms before a game because the reporters are waiting to interview players who are in the training room for treatment, on the court warming up or attending pregame chapel services.

“The vast majority of players and the vast majority of our members have positive interactions on a daily basis.

“The PBWA has worked with the NBA in recent years to streamline the daily access periods for players and coaches. Individual players are no longer required to do interviews both at the morning shootaround and during the pregame availability session. The pregame access period has been reduced from 45 minutes to 30. The amount of practice time open to the media has been reduced from 30 minutes to 15. These changes were made to assist players and coaches and reduce their media obligations during their workdays.

“The PBWA would welcome the opportunity to meet with Michele Roberts at any location and time of her choosing to discuss the issues she raised in the espnW.com column.”

At the All-Star Game, Kevin Durant criticized the media following questions asked about the job security of Scott Brooks.

"Most of the time I go to the locker room, the players are there and there are like eight or nine reporters just standing there, just staring at them," Roberts said. "And I think to myself, 'OK, so this is media availability?' If you don't have a f---ing question, leave, because it's an incredible invasion of privacy. It's a tremendous commitment that we've made to the media -- are there ways we can tone it down? Of course. It's very dangerous to suggest any limitation on media's access to players, but let's be real about some of this stuff.

"I've asked about a couple of these guys, 'Does he ask you a question?' 'Nah, he just stands there.' And when I go in there to talk to the guys, I see them trying to listen to my conversation, and I don't think that's the point of media availability. If nothing else, I would like to have a rule imposed, 'If you have a question, ask it; if you don't, leave.' Sometimes, they're waiting for the marquee players. I get that, but there is so much standing around."

During LeBron James' career, he has increasingly become more involved with the National Basketball Players Association and he is now vice president.

"No need for motivation," James said Friday. "I understand how important our next collective bargaining talks are gonna be. I'm a big part of it, from our side. No extra needed motivation. It's just common sense."

James replaces Roger Mason, who is not an active player and has taken a full-time job with the union.

Chris Paul urged James to take a larger role in union affairs going forward.

"Me and CP is going to be talking through the rest of the year," James said. "He wanted me to be a part of it, and I had no problems as soon as he mentioned it. We're going to be talking through the rest of the season. Our communication goes throughout the season anyway, but it's going to be continued now."

The Executive Committee of the union under Michelle Roberts is star-heavy, whereas the likes of Derek Fisher and Mason had the key roles under Billy Hunter.

"(LeBron) actually had thought about running for president (before Paul was elected), but having to respect the process and the work that was involved, he really didn't feel at that time it was the right move, not having been on the board, not having been around guys and been involved in the process," James Jones said. "So this was an opportunity for him to actually become a member on the board, a senior member on the board, lean on his teammates and board members and partner up with Chris Paul to really give the union some direction. And it will be the best direction it's had in a long time."

"I'm my own guy," James said. "I understand how important the business of basketball is. The National Basketball Association is the National Business Association. I understand that. For me, I want to make sure that I'm protected, and the players are protected, and the league. You know, both sides want to continue to build this beautiful league that we have. The All-Star Game was (televised) in more than 200 countries in the world, and we want to continue that. We want to continue the drive what we have. Hopefully both sides can come to an agreement that fits both sides."

Kobe Bryant believes the 2011 NBA lockout was designed to limit the capacity for the Los Angeles Lakers to remain a title contender.

The NBA made the luxury tax more punitive in the new collective bargaining agreement.

"Well, okay: Look at the [2011] lockout. That lockout was made to restrict the Lakers. It was. I don't care what any other owner says. It was designed to restrict the Lakers and our marketability."

The NBA also vetoed a trade agreed upon by the Lakers and the league-owned New Orleans Hornets that would have sent Chris Paul to Los Angeles.

"There is only one team like the Lakers. Everything that was done with that lockout was to restrict the Lakers' ability to get players and to create a sense of parity, for the San Antonios of the world and the Sacramentos of the world. But a funny thing happened, coming out of that lockout: Even with those restrictions, the Lakers pulled off a trade [for Chris Paul] that immediately set us up for a championship, a run of championships later, and which saved money. Now, the NBA vetoed that trade. But the Lakers pulled that shit off, and no one would have thought it was even possible. The trade got vetoed, because they'd just staged the whole lockout to restrict the Lakers. Mitch (Kupchak) got penalized for being smart. But if we could do that..."

NBPA executive director Michele Roberts made her position on raising the age limit to 20 clear on Friday when she said: "Be happy with one-and-done; it's not going to be two-and-done."

Adam Silver has long advocated for an age limit of 20.

"I think it would be much better for the game if the minimum age was 20 instead of 19," he said. "I understand the other side of the issue. We haven't had the opportunity to present our side of the issue."

Adam Silver would like to made adjustments to the NBA schedule to allow players more rest and to reduce the number of preseason games.

The NBA extended the length of the All-Star break this season, but it resulted in a surge of four games in five nights for teams.

"We'll come as close as we can to eliminating the four-in-five formula. We think we can make a dramatic reduction," Silver said. "We hear everyone loud and clearly. It's a function of number of days in the schedule."

Silver said the league had been in talks with television partners TNT and ESPN about allowing more games to take place on Thursdays and Sundays, when the schedule is pared back for national television purposes.